Suspension of the cars of airships.



E. BLOGHMANN. SUSPENSION OF THE CARS 0P AIRSHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR; 29, 1913.

LW WSQQ Patented 0013.7,1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNST BLOCHM ANN, OF BITTERFELD, GERMANY, ASSIG'ISIOR TO LUFT-ZEAI-IRZEUG- GESELLSCHAFT M. B. I-L, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, A CQRPORATI'ON OF PRU'SSIA.

SUSPENSION OF THE CARS- 0F AIRSH'EPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

App1icetion .file-d. E- i129; 19 3- Patented Got. '7, 1913.

Seria No. 7fi,4l8.

Cars of Airships, of. which the following is a specification.

This invention relates. to the cars-ofi.airships of the kind in which the car is movable under the balloon or envelop.

In existing constructions the car is sus pended on parallel cables and can-move to and fro by means of rollers: arranged on a through cable termed the running cable. To prevent the car from movin too far forward and backward, and en positions are fixed by limit cables, which trail andhang down loosely when the car is in thecentral.

position, but are stretched taut when the car is in the end positions, thus stopping its travel with a jerk. The shockthus produced can it is true, he reduced to a certain degree by inserting spring elements into the limit or stop cables but in squally weather, when the balloon frequently pitches heavily, and the car therefore travels very quickly on the running cables, such intermediate spring members have proved of less use.

The object of this invention is to provide means for preventing excessive speed being imparted to the car on the running cables from the start, whatever the extent to which the airship pitches, without however stopping in any way the necessary adjustment in I the position of the car at speeds which are below the safety limit.

According to this invention the movement of the running cable relatively to the car itself utilized, a speed brake of some known type, being arranged between the running cable and the car which retards the travel of the cable /as soon as it exceeds a limit which is previously determined in designing the brake. /lhe brake is also preferably simultaneously used as a vertical rudder, the car being mechanically shifted on the running cable by means of the brake, in that way the oblique position of the envelop or ballooflbeingi changed. Moreover, the device also ma es it possible to measure the resistance to the travel of the balloon and of-the rigging at different speeds the car being stopped on the running cable by means of the brake, and the power required for the purpose measured.

One construction according to this invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which.

Figure 1 shows the car, limit and running cables diagrammatically in side eleva tion. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the brake and guide rollers on an enlarged scale. Fig, 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2, and Fiigs and 5 show in sectional side elevationtwo modified forms of apparatus for controlling the movements of the car.

In Fig. 1 the caris shown in side elevation with the running cables t, limit cables 8. and braked. The brake itself is shown as a frictionbrake, the jaws of which are forced against the drum'by centrifugal force. In Figs. 2 and 3 the running cable a is guided by both rollers 6, Z) and drives by means of the roller 0, the spindle d, and a brake spindle e carrying two brake shoes 7", f, is quickly rotated through spur wheels by the spindle d. The rollers b and c, the spindle d, the spur wheel gear and the brake spindle 6 with the brake jaws, are mounted in ..a fixed casing, which also contains the brake drum 9, and is secured to the car. The brakeshoes are so designed that, when the car exceeds a certain speed, they retard its travel by pressure against the drum. In

case of low speed, the springs h h pull the brake shoes away from the drum, and the car can travel freely.

For measuring the resistance to travel, on the extended brake spindle e (Fig. 3) is mounted a lever Z, by means of which the spindle e is prevented from turning. The force required for the purpose, which in case of the movable car suspension, represents a measure of the resistance to the flight of the envelop and rigging, can bedetermined direct by suspending weights, by spring balance, measuring box or the like. On the other hand, by turning the brake spindle 6 (Fig. 2) from the outside, and using the gear in the opposite manner the car can be moved on the running cable a, and in that way the balloon placed in the inclined fore and aft position required for vertical steering.

For protecting the running cable a, the force can be also taken up by a separate cable, a chain is, a tooth'rack z or the like ofand suflicient length, the end of which is secured to the running cable a, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, so that the cable a itself can be carried directly under such auxiliary means.

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,'is:

1. In a movable car suspension for airships the combination of a car sliding freely on a running cable'with means for automatically stopping the movement of the car relatively to the cable, substantially as set forth.

2. In a movable car suspension for airships the combination of a car sliding freely on a running cable With a brake adapted to automatically stopping the movement of the car relatively to the cable at a certain limit of speed and means for moving the car on the cable, substantially as set forth.

3. In-a movable car suspension for airships the combination of a car sliding freely on a running cable With a brake, a gearing interposed between the cable and the brake shaft, means for operating the brake by the movement of the car on the cable and a reast) means for moving the car on the cable by rotating the brake shaft, substantially as set forth.

4. In a movable car suspension for airships the combination of a car sliding freely on a running cable with a brake adapted to automatically stopping the movement of the car relatively to the cable at a certain limit of speed and means for measuring the turning movement of the brake, substantially as set forth.

5 In a movable car suspension for airships the combination of a car sliding freely nesses.

ERNST BLOCHMANN. Witnesses:

FELIX DINGLINGER, GEoRs v. VVANSDORFF. 

